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Hardwood floors are a
major selling point for a home, so keeping them in tip top condition
is really important to its resale value. Refinishing floors will
bring them back to their original glory, but refinishing can be very
expensive and avoidable just by behaving conscientiously.
The first step to taking caring for hardwood floors is finding out
what type you have. There are many different types of woods used in
flooring, and each one has different properties you should be aware
of. For example, cherry is a very soft wood as compared to oak.
Consequently, cherry wood will expand and contract with variations
in humidity. The type of protective sealer that was applied to your
hardwood floors will also affect how you treat them, so you need to
determine this before you do any type of cleaning.
Prevention is a big part of the care for hardwood floors. Scratches,
dents and dulling diminish the look and value of your floors. To
prevent scratches, use door mats to minimize the amount of dirt and
sand that makes it into your home. Dirt and grit that makes it in
should be frequently removed. Soft bristled brooms or cloth covered
dust mops can be used. If sand or grit is allowed to say on the
hardwood floors, just the act of walking over it can put scratches
in the finish on your floors.
It’s important to educate yourself about the type of wood used for
you hardwood floors. Different types of wood have different
properties and can stand up to different levels of abuse. Softer
woods like cherry wood more prone to dents and scratches than harder
woods like oak. If you have a soft wood in your house, be sure to
take extra caution to protect it.
Wearing high heels and other hard soled shoes might actually damage
the delicate wood, so consider only wearing soft-sole shoes in the
house. Softer woods also tend to expand and contract with change in
humidity. Try to keep the humidity level as constant as possible
throughout the year. A central humidifier can help you do that, as
you can set the humidistat to monitor and control the amount of
humidity in your home.
Furniture is another major scratching culprit. All furniture that
rests on the hardwood floors should have felt contacts under the
legs to protect the wood. Otherwise, the furniture can and will
scratch the wood whenever it moves even just a little bit. The
heavier the furniture is, the deeper the scratch will be. If
furniture is heavy enough and the wood is soft enough, even just the
weight of the furniture can dent the wood. If you are moving
furniture, be careful to never drag it across the wood. Rather you
should always lift the piece off the floor and carry it. |
